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I read an article not too long ago in the New York Times about people doing yoga and doing permanent damage to necks, discs and various other bones due to the postures required in certain types of yoga.

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I've never killed anyone, but I frequently get satisfaction reading the obituary notices.-Clarence Darrow

I read an article not too long ago in the New York Times about people doing yoga and doing permanent damage to necks, discs and various other bones due to the postures required in certain types of yoga.

Excellent point. That is the difference between Yoga Done in Studios these days and Guru Siyag's Siddha Yoga. In Guru Siyag's Siddha any Yogic movements and postures happens automatically. While in Studio Yoga, postures are forced. Forced postures can cause damage if stretched too far. In Guru Siyag's only those yogic movements will happen which are required by the body to cure itself. So there is no chance of any kind of damage happening.

I did yoga for a number of years in NYC, both Sivananda and Jivamukti. This was the late 80's and early 90's. Before all the craziness, fads, and power yoga crap. Honestly some of the fetishy stuff they come up with in "lifestyle" trend cities, and call fitness or healthy, is a bit too much. Hot Yoga..... etc.

It helped me a lot deal with stress of the big city and all the aids stress of those years. And its makes a nice body to boot. Although I supposed thats not very yoga to say. (I had the hots for David Life.)

It was never so easy for me to do the mental practice. I entered a blank zone better through running or hiking.

My take on non-western practices in western countries that they are not adapted to the lifestyle we must lead. I mean how can we chant mantras all day when we have to multitask all day long?

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“From each, according to his ability; to each, according to his need” 1875 K Marx

I read an article not too long ago in the New York Times about people doing yoga and doing permanent damage to necks, discs and various other bones due to the postures required in certain types of yoga.

I have no idea how they teach Yoga in the US or in Europe, but I suspect a lot of these new age adaptations such as Power Yoga, Bikram Yoga and whatnot can cause injuries if they're not done under proper supervision.

Yoga is great if you have a good yoga teacher who knows his/her stuff. Many aasanas (yoga postures)- especially the more contorted positions- are not to be attempted without years and years of practice, if at all. Most of the basic postures however, if done correctly, and over a period of time, do strengthen your spine, neck etc (this was my experience at least, and of most of the people I know). They also need to be done in the right combinations. For example, if one goes through a series of postures bending the spine forward, then you'd need to balance it out with exercises bending the spine backwards. If they're done wrong, it can be quite harmful. It's a bit like screwing up your back and neck by pumping heavy weights in the gym, not taking into consideration your body's limitations.

I also don't understand how this whole fast movement power yoga works. I was taught that one basic tenet of yoga is gradual, slow movements; to not push the body beyond it's capable limit. Sudden jerks and jolts are to always be avoided.

The most common form of yoga in these parts is Kripalu, which is taught at the Kripalu Center in the Berkshires of western Massachusetts. http://www.kripalu.org

It's a slow, healing-style yoga, completely in opposition to the athletic forms of yoga promoted by the gyms and most studios these days. There are some free video classes you can watch online: http://kripalu.org/article/1205/

Theirs is a retreat center, and they offer lots of programs around different wellness themes. They also have scholarships available that cover part of the cost of a visit.

From their web site:

Quote

Kripalu Yoga (krih-PAH-loo)Kripalu Yoga, stemming from the teachings of Swami Kripalu and brought to America in the 1960s by his disciple Yogi Amrit Desai, emphasizes how you practice as much as how you live your life. Kripalu Yoga promotes a commonsense practice accessible to everyone and encourages you to listen to your body, the ultimate authority. Pranayama, asana, and "meditation in motion" will all be found in a Kripalu Yoga class. Certified Kripalu Yoga teachers lead all our guest yoga classes at Kripalu Center. You can also take Kripalu Yoga programs with some of our senior teachers, including Shobhan Richard Faulds, Randal Williams, and Rudy Peirce.

Anyway, the reason I do yoga is to find inner peace (to the extent that I'm able). Any physical benefit is completely secondary to the practice of trying to calm my mind. YMMV.